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Native to eastern Europe, Red Cabbage Kalibos is a beautiful carmine red colour with an attractive pointed head. High in sugar, Red Cabbage Kalibos is noted for its sweet flavour but it does not hold its colour or structure when cooked, it is however perfect for grating raw into salads where the distinctive colour adds beauty to the bowl. Can be harvested as greens or left to make a dense heart.
Kalibos is best sown late to mature in late summer and autumn. This east European heirloom variety makes a tasty and colourful addition to any vegetable garden.

Seeds per packet (approx.): 0.30 gm

This delightful maincrop carrot Atomic Red has large, bright red roots up to 11 inches long. Rich in vitamins and minerals, carrot Atomic
Red is especially high in the anti-oxidant lycopene, which is also found in tomatoes and highly regarded as a cancer-preventing nutrient . When raw the roots of carrot Atomic Red have a somewhat rough appearance but when peeled and cooked the carrots turn blood red in colour and the flavour and texture are also significantly improved. As with all carrots, when planting, pick a sunny spot, dig the ground well (at least one foot deep) and remove any rocks or stones which might get in the way of the growing crop. Matures approx. 75-80 days after sowing.

Seeds per packet (approx.): 350

Launched in 2005, Cosmic Purple is a great addition to meet the growing demand for purple carrots. Carrot Cosmic Purple is a maincrop variety that produces beautiful medium length roots with smooth purple coloured skin and coreless orange flesh. One of the strangest carrots you'll ever see, when cut, this carrot looks like no other, with purple, yellow and orange circles. A high sugar content gives the roots a sweet flavour and makes it very popular with children. The coloration of the skin deepens with maturity and Carrot Cosmic Purple does a much better job of retaining its colour after cooking than most other purple types.
Roots grow to approx. 7 inches long and are ready to harvest 65 to 70 days after sowing.

Seeds per packet (approx.): 350

Carrot Lunar White is a 19th century Belgian heirloom variety that produces 12 to 24 inch pure white tapered roots with green shoulders.
A very high yielding variety, Lunar White will outperform most orange carrots, although it is more susceptible to frost damage. This wonderful white carrot is almost coreless, with a nice mild carrot flavour and a crispy, crunchy texture. Particularly delicious when picked small, carrot Lunar White is excellent in green salads and gourmet dishes. They can be used in any recipe calling for standard orange carrots, but they are a nice addition to any dish where presentation highlights their clean moon-white colour.
As with all carrots, when planting Lunar White pick a sunny spot, dig the ground well (at least one foot deep) and remove any rocks or stones which might get in the way of the growing crop.
Although the roots remain under ground, the hips can show a bit of green, so you may want to hill up the soil around the plants as they grow.

Seeds per packet (approx.): 350

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Castor Bean Plant is an annual with large purple leaves.
Native to Africa but now found growing all over the world.
If you need a big, fast-growing plant, Castor Bean is the one to choose.
This beauty quickly sprouts into a tall plant up to 5 ft. high with huge, exotic looking leaves which are often almost 3ft across.

Plant singly, as a screening plant, or in large flower beds in parks and bigger gardens.

Seeds per packet (approx.): 5

At last, it’s possible to harvest lettuce plants of different types and tastes from a single sowing. If you've never grown your own lettuce plants to experience that fresh from the garden taste, try this superb mixed pack of lettuce seeds. An exciting blend of specially selected varieties to provide a range of colours, textures, tastes and leaf types to your salad bowl. Sow at two-week intervals to provide a continuous supply of leaves throughout the season. Exceptionally useful where space is limited.

Seeds per packet (approx.): 350

Spanish Daisy is an easy to grow annual plant for hanging baskets, flower beds and rock gardens.
Originally from Central America, it has been growing wild in Southern Europe for many years and is now being hailed as one of the greatest horticultural discoveries of recent years.
The masses of small flowers are pink when they open, rapidly turn white, and finally as they mature change back to rose-red giving the plant an unusual and constant two-tone effect.
This compact jewel is beloved by bees and butterflies and will also make an outstanding contribution in a wildlife garden

Seeds per packet (approx.): 60

Annual plant with aromatic leaves for cucumber souring. Dried leaves are good for salads, cottage cheese, fish, roast meat and sauces.
Basil came originally from India where it was used to cleanse and protect Hindu houses and temples.
The flavour is sweet but slightly peppery. It is used extensively in Mediterranean and Greek cooking, blending particularly well with tomato dishes, soups, pasta, risottos and eggs. It also goes well with pork and cheese dishes.

Seeds per packet (approx.): 325

Koralik is a determinate bush variety with high yields of small fruit.
Late maturing, Koralik has exceptionally high tolerance to blight.
Fruits weigh 12-15 gms, are an appealing bright red colour with a sweet flavour and all tomatoes on a truss ripen together.
Koralik will thrive outside in wet seasons where other varieties fail.
Grow in a container on the patio or in open beds. Use for salads or chutney.

Quote / growing advice from one of our customers - "These toms will have a real place in the future of my allotment as despite their small size they crop late and they crop so profusely that we make soup and other preserves from them. I would like to add some real advice to your customers from past experience. They grow as a bush, needing no after-care at all, but it might be useful to learn from our experience and grow them through plastic sheeting to avoid fruits from being spoiled by the soil. We tried this last year and it was a winner.
They are resistant to disease, surprisingly prolific, what people buy these days in large quantities and they are so versatile. We intend starting them off earlier this year, now that we have cracked their method of growth."

Seeds per packet (approx.): 30

Germination

Seeds are living things. Given the correct conditions, they will generally germinate quickly and give satisfaction. The correct conditions vary for each species, specific recommendations are given for temperature and other factors against each species. The general guidelines below for greenhouse-grown plants should be of additional help. With field sown plants we are all at the mercy of the weather.

A soil-less seed compost is best. Soil based composts generally give less good results. Maintaining the compost moist enough for the seeds and in the correct temperature range for the variety is critical.

Emerging seedlings are vulnerable to disease, particularly damping off which is an invasive fungus (Pythium spp.). A precautionary drench of the compost prior to sowing with a fungicide is helpful. Good fungicides can be bought from any garden centre.

Sow seed at the recommended time. Bear in mind that southern Europe and northern Europe sowing periods will need adjusting to local conditions. As a general guide, these are the usual sowing times:

HA (hardy annuals): February - May. If sown direct outside, sowing should not be made until the soil has started to warm up after winter. (Some hardy annuals can be sown outdoors in late August/early September for flowering early summer the following year.)

HHA (half hardy annuals): January - April.

HP, HB (hardy perennials, hardy biennials): April - July

TP (tender plants, including most bedding plants): December - March.

How to sow seed: use plastic plant-pots or seed trays, preferably new and hence sterile. For all but the largest seeds, fill the container with compost to within about 3cm from the top and lightly firm down. Then add about 1cm of compost that has been sieved through a 0.5cm mesh sieve and level the surface.

Next, water the compost by immersing the pot in water, being very careful not to over-water and spray the surface with the fungicide.

Sow the seed thinly and evenly. Firm the seed down and then cover as appropriate, preferably with vermiculite. Generally, leave fine seed uncovered, otherwise cover the majority of the seeds with a thin layer of vermiculite. Some species require light to germinate, some dark, so please check for any specific recommendations.

Spray the surface again with the fungicide and wrap the sowing container with clear plastic There should be no need to water the seeds again until after they germinate. The compost will stay moist; drying out is a common cause of germination failure.

Germinate the seeds at their appropriate temperature. Most species, with some exceptions, are happy to germinate in the range 18 – 20oC. A common cause of poor germination is temperatures that are too high, too low, or too variable. A certain way to overheat seeds is to leave them in direct sunshine! Temperature or moisture stress at this critical period will dramatically affect the success of germination.

Maintaining the seeds at the correct moisture levels and temperature is critical to success in germination.

Dormancy: some species, particularly ornamentals, have a dormancy mechanism that delays germination sometimes by months. There are methods to overcome this, noted below:

Hard-coated seeds: these should be soaked in water before sowing for 24 hours or the coat can be scratched or chipped (scarified) with a sharp knife, care being taken not to damage the embryo.

Vernalisation and stratification: some seeds require exposure to moisture and low temperature for an extended period. This can be achieved by sowing the seed and leaving the container outside in January or February for the appropriate period and then bringing inside (to about 15oC). Alternatively, put the seed in a refrigerator at a temperature of 4ºC for a similar period.

Don’t be put off sowing a seed because you feel it may need special treatment one thing you can be sure of - it won’t grow if left in the packet.

Pricking out: when large enough to handle, the young plants will need pricking out and, if not destined for planting out in the garden, eventually potting on.

When pricking out your seedlings often you will have more plants than you will need, it is a good idea to select individuals with an assortment of sizes. It is often the less vigorous seedlings that eventually produce the best flowers with the most interesting colours. This is particularly true when dealing with mixtures.

Tips: one of the commonest causes of failure of plants is incorrect watering. When first transplanted, water with extreme caution until the plant has recovered from the shock. Thereafter water thoroughly and then leave alone until the soil is again practically dry.

If you wish to keep seed, it should be kept cool and dry. It can be stored in a moisture-proof container in the main body of a domestic fridge. Although the seeds of many species can remain viable with storage at room temperature for a year or two, cold storage takes care of those with a relatively short life and extends considerably the life of others.

Download Germination Notes PDF file

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